Dozens of young people sent “save the Taiwan pink dolphins” postcards earlier this year to President Ma Ying-jeou imploring him to use his office to help ensure that all responsible agencies do whatever it takes to restore health and safety to the population of Sousa chinensis [pink dolphins] that inhabit the waters along the west coast of Taiwan. Mr. Ma, upon receiving the post cards said “I am very touched”.

However, 13 August 2011 marks the third anniversary the International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) designation of the Taiwan Sousa population as CR or “critically endangered”, only one step away from extinction. The efforts taken by Taiwan to protect the dolphins and their habitat have fallen pitifully short of what is needed, raising concerns that this special population of animals unique to Taiwan could soon be lost forever.

On Saturday, 13 August 2011 we will deliver a petition to the president’s office expressing our hopes that Mr. Ma and all of those in his government, in addition to their being “moved” will take action appropriate to the severity of the situation for this population of fewer than one hundred animals and the habitat with which they share with millions of human occupants in western Taiwan.

We have the following three demands:
1. immediately declare “important habitat” for the area inhabited by the dolphins in accordance with the Wildlife Protection Act
2. confront and deal with illegal fishing practices in the area
3. convene an interagency meeting inviting environmental advocacy groups to deal with the five major threats* to the dolphins that were identified in the petition delivered to the Executive Yuan in January 2008.

We will show pictures at the press conference of emaciated and injured dolphins and will join a parade of large and small dolphins to the president’s office to deliver our petition!